Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride. It usually contains no clay minerals, and is only called "clay" because it can be used for similar purposes as clay. more...

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Introduction

Polymer clays of all brands contain a basis of PVC and one or more of several kinds of liquid plasticizer to keep it soft until cured. Small amounts of kaolin or white china clay are added as an opaquing agent to some colors. Others remain more translucent and can be left without pigment, or pigments can be added. Mica is also added in some colors by some brands.

Bakelite was extremely popular with designers and had an early form of polymer clay available in kits, but the phenol base of uncured Bakelite was flammable and these were discontinued. Today's clays are non flammable and certified as non-toxic art supplies. FIMO polymer clay was made popular by Maureen "Fifi" Kruse, daughter of a popular German doll designer Kathe Kruse in the early 1940s. The compound was later sold to Eberhardt Faber in the 1960s and they named it after her.

Polymer clay's history as an art medium is only decades long, unlike many media that have been around for centuries and have long traditions. This newness means that there is a great deal of innovation by users of polymer clay. Often, ideas are born by borrowing from the traditions of some other materials, such as metalworking (mokume gane), ceramics, glass (millefiore), paper, etc.

Polymer clay hardens by curing at temperatures created in a typical home oven (generally at 265 to 275 °F (129 to 135 °C), for 15 minutes per 1/4" (6 mm) of thickness), and does not shrink or change texture during the process. When properly cured, most clays create items which won't break if dropped or normally stressed. It also comes in liquid form and in permanently flexible solid form, as well as speciality formulations such as eraser clay and glow-in-the-dark clay. A piece may have additional layers or enhancments added to it, and re-cured with no ill effect. As long as the maximum curing temperature is not exceeded, there is no limit to the number of times a piece can be re-cured.

Polymer clay is sold in craft, hobby, and art stores, and is used by artists, hobbyists, and children. Leading brands of polymer clay include Premo created for Polyform Products by Marie Segal,an early pioneer in polymer clay, Fimo, Sculpey, Cernit, Formello, Modello and Kato Clay formulated for Van Aken by Donna Kato an early artist for Fimo.

Few tools are essential for use with polymer clay, and these can often be found around the house. A pasta machine is often used to create evenly flat sheets, to mix colors, to condition the clay, and to create patterned sheets.

Polymer clay is available in many colors. Special-effect colors such as translucent, glow-in-the-dark, mica-containing "metallics," and "stone" colors are also available. Clays can be mixed together to create new colors, gradient blends, or other effects. Judith Skinner was credited with a technique to use the pasta machine to create a gradient blended sheet of color. This technique is used frequently in many other applications and is one of the early skills developed by hobbyists or artists in the media.

Read more at Wikipedia.org